Means and process for effecting periodic body inversion



F. K. MoUNTzI June 18, 1968 MEANS AND PROCESS FOR EFFECTING PERIODICBODY INVERSION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug.

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HIS ATTORNEY June 18, 1968 F. K. MouNTz 3,388,700

MEANS AND PROCESS FOR EFFECTING PERIODIC BODY INVERSION Filed Aug. 27,1964 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. FORREST KINDLE MOUNTZ 32mm.'im ai. mm

HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,388,700 MEANS AND PROCESS FOREFFECTENG PERIODI() BGDY INVERSHON Forrest Kindle Mountz, 22609Garfield, St. Clair Shores, Mich. 43082 Filed Aug. 27, 1964, Ser. No.392,659 15 Claims. (Cl. 12S-24) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE Means andprocess for effecting inversion of ones own body having a pivotallysupported table and rail means at the head end of the table by which onecan lie upon the table and walk the head end of the table downwardly bygrasping the rail means.

This invention relates to means and -process for effecting periodic bodyinversion.

Its object is to provide means and process whereby a person can reversethe gravitational effects upon his body and its anatomical parts andsystems periodically at his pleasure for relaxation and stimulation ofcirculation, for relief from tensions and for other healthful benefits.

The foregoing object and other advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent during the course of the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a body suspension inverting beddevice embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a like view of said device with its table in an invertedposition;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of said device;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views of parts of said device showing,respectively, the lock for its table and the underside of the latter;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of said device;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a part of said device showing theaxially moveable footboard; and

FIGS. 7-9 are side, front and rear elevational views of the suspensionmechanism of said device.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, 10 indicates the base ofthe device which, in the instance, has four legs and rotatably supportsa padded table 12 via an axle 15 and hub 16 which are aflixed,respectively, to the table 12 and base 10. A user lies on the table 12and while he 4is getting off and on it is locked in its horizontalposition by means of a detent 17 which is carried in a flange 18 affixedto the table 12. The detent 17 projects into a blind aperture 20 in thehub 16 which prevents rotation of the table. A ring 22 is within reachof the user while in a supine position who can pull upon it after he issettled on the table and ready to release it for rotation. The ring 22is joined to the detent 17 by a wire 23 and when the ring is pulled uponit compresses a spring 24 which serves to p'reload the detent 17 andinsures entry of the latter into the aperture 20 which the table assumesthe horizontal position.

A footboard 30 is arranged at an end of the table so as to be moveableaxially thereof over the pad thereon to accommodate the differentweights and heights of various users of the device. The footboard isheld fast in its movement toward the head of the table in any of itsaxially adjustable positions by a toothed rack 31 mounted on each sideof the table and brake 32 which has teeth meshing with those on therack. The brake 32 is supported for limited rotation between sideboards33 joined to the footboard 30. The engaging end of the brake 32 isconstructed in relation to the rack 31 so that it can rotate in onedirection (anti-clockwise in FIG. 1) to release the footboard 30 foradjustment axially of the table.

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Such end is elongated so that it is prevented from being rotated in theopposite direction (clockwise in FIG. 1) to hold the footboard againstany amount of weight of a user tending to moving it toward the head ofthe table. A com-pression spring 38 operates against the footboard 30and upon the free end of the brake 32 to keep its engaged end in meshwith the rack 31 in any of the adjusted positions of the footboard 30.To counterweight the head end of the table exactly in accordance withthe particular height and weight of the user a counterweight is providedat the foot end of the table in the form of a bar 3S and slotted weights36 removable from the bar.

The footboard 30 carries a body suspension mechanism which, in theinstance, is in the form of a pair of ankle gripping means whichindividually grip the ankles of the user and support him in an invertedposition without discomfort. Each such means comprises a webbing member40 which has its two ends crossed and affixed spaced apart to thefootboard 30 after one end is threaded through a slot in the other toforni a loop which grips the ankle of the user while his foot extends4through the space between the crossover point of the webbing and thefootboard 30 as best shown in FIGS. 7 9. The ankle gripping means exertsa progessively tighter grip on the user in proportion to his weightwhich increases his secur-ity but without discomfort in view of the wideband of webbing which wraps all around the ankle. As further security ofthe user a chest strap 42 may be provided by which he may strap himselfto the table near its head end.

A pair of arcuate rails 45 are provided near the end of the table whichare braced and joined to the base 10 so that they extend forwardly andupwardly to be within reach of the hands of the user when his arms areover his head while he is in a supine position by which r-ails he canwalk himself into an inverted position. Whenever he lets go of the railsthe user automatically returns to a horizontal position due to thecounterbalancing effect of the axially moveable footboard 30. The forcewith which he returns is directly proportional to the force the usermust use to walk himself down the rails so that in practice one wouldadjust the position of the footboard to require a minimum walking force.The extreme inverted position of the -table 12 is governed by theposition of a stop 48 screw threaded Iinto a cross member 49 of the base10 which in the case of the average user in positioned so that the tablewill rotate to one or two degrees under degrees, i.e. so that it alwaysreturns to the horizontal whenever the user lets go of the rails 4S. Inthe case of an experienced user who wishes -to remain in the invertedposition and and relax with his hands free the stop 48 may be threadedfurther into the member 49 so that the table 12 goes one or two degreesbeyond 90 degrees. An experienced user will wish to take advantage ofthe free use of his hands and massage parts of his body such as his faceWhere the effects of aging show most. For example, he may wish tomassage under his eyes where bags tend to form from the effect ofcontinuous gravitational pull upon his body. The beneficial effects fromperiodic body inversion upon the human body are thought to be due to theflushing of the upper half of the body with blood by the pull of gravitywhich draws the blood into cell and capillaries which otherwise wouldreceive only small quantities of blood.

In use of the device the axial position of the footboard 30 which isbest for a given user is determined by trying the table with thefootboard in different positions until the table with the user on it isbest counterbalanced. This position is marked and the footboard returnedto this position lif it is moved for another user. The user makes surethat the detent 17 is in the aperture 20, i.e., that the table 12 islocked in its horizontal position by testing it as by pressing upon thehead end of the ta-ble. With the table locked the user climbs upon itand places his ankles within the ankle gripping means on the footboard39, i.e., each ankle is threaded through the loop of the member 40 andthe users foot is placed between the crossed ends thereof. The user thenbuckles the chest straps 42 and grips the rails with his handsoutstretched over his head and walks himself down the rails until he hasreached such inverted position as he desires. As

previously mentioned the maximum inverted position he can reach isdetermined by the stop 48. When the user lets go of the rails 45 he willreturn to the horizontal position or he will remain in an invertedposition in accordance with the threaded position of the stop 48 in themember 49. The user is either fully supported in a supine position orentirely suspended in a vertical position and partly both supported andsuspended between these positions.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by the presentinvention means and process for effecting periodic body inversion bywhich relaxing and healthful effects can be ybestowed upon the humanbody particularly from reversing the gravitational effects upon thebodys various anatomical parts and systems. While a preferred embodimentof the invention has been shown and described it is to be understoodthat modifications, variations and changes may -be resorted to withoutdeparting from the ambit of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

I clai-m:

1. Self-operable non-invalid means for effecting periodic body inversionfor its beneficial effects upon the human body comprising a table, abase, the table xedly mounted for 90 degree or so limited rotation uponthe base between a horizontal position and a vertical position in whichthe foot of the table is above its head, attaching means for attachingthe user in a supine position to the table including feet attachingmeans at the -foot end of the table lfor gripping the users lfeet tosuspend the user in an inverted Iposition without discomfort when thetable is in its vertical position, means entirely operable by the userhimself 'while so attached to the table for moving the same between itshorizontal and Vertical positions including a pair of hand railsconstructed so that the user must reach over 'his head to reach the sameand by which he can Walk himself via his hands between said horizontaland vertical positions, and means for controlling the force which theuser must use to walk himself down the rails to an inverted position andfor controlling the rate at which the user returns to the horizontalfr-om said inverted position comprising adjustable weightcounterbalancing means at the foot end of the table forcounter'balancing the head end of the table and the user for `soreturning the table and user to the horizontal position when 4the userlets go of the rails.

2. Means according to claim 1 in which said feet attaching means andsaid counterbalancing means are movea'ble axially of the table toaccommodate different heights and weights of Various users.

3. Means according to claim l1 which includes normally-on releasableibrake means for rendering said feet attaching means and said-counterbalancing means fast against -movement in each of their adjustedpositions axially of the table, and brake release means actuable by theuser while on the locked table for releasing said brake means to freesaid feet attaching means and said counterbalancing means for adjustmentaxially of the table.

4. Means .according -t-o ciaim 3 which includes a footboard and means tomove the footboard axially of the table, said brake means operative uponthe footboard in respect to the table, said footboard carrying saidcounterbalancing means on one side thereof and said feet attaching meanson the other side thereof.

5. Means according to claim 1 which includes adjustable position stopmeans which limits the extreme inverted position of the table in respectvto the vertical.

6. Means according to claim 5 in which' said stop means is sopositiona'ble as to require the user to use the hand rails Vto maintainhimself in said inverted position so that if he loses consciousness or-otherwise frees his hands of the hand rail he will always return to thehorizontal.

7. Means` according to claim 5 in which said stop means is sopositionable as to allow the user to free his hands of the hand rails ina vertical position without returning -to the horizontal.

'8. Means according t-o claim 5 in which said stop means is sopositionable that the extreme inverted posi- 'tion of the table can beadjusted between a few degrees on each side of vertical.

9. "Means according to claim I1 in which said feet attaching means:comprises individually operative and individually -fastenable andloosenable ankle gripping means ywhich grip the users ankles.

10. 'Means according to claim 9 in which each ankle gripping meanscomprises a looped webbing member through and in which iloop is threaded:and gripped the respective ankle of the user.

11. Means according to claim 1 in which said rails are disposed adjacentto and are continuous along the rotational path of movement of the headend of the table.

12. Means according to claim 11 in which said rails are circular andhave a c-ommon -center of curvature which is the rotation axis for thetable, the radius of curvature of said rails being greater than that ofsaid rotational path of movement of the head end of the table.

13. yMeans according to claim 1 which includes means for locking thetable in its horizontal position, and lock release means actuable by theuser while in a supine horizontal position on the locked table forreleasing said locking means to free the table for rotation in respectto the base.

14. -Means according to claim 13- in which said lock release means isslidably actuable by being pulled upon by the user.

15. Process for effecting inversion of ones own body with a tablepivotally supported intermediate its ends at a height substantiallyone-half that of the person and downwardly extending nail means at Jchehead end of and unattached to the table, and means located at the footend of the table for counterbalancing t-he table, said processcomprising securing the ankles to the `foot end of said table and lyingthereupon with `the table in a substantially horizontal position,grasping the rail means and walking the head end of the tabledownwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,693,810 12/1928 Daniels et a1.12s-70 3,081,085 3/1963 Gionamo 272-58 3,152,802 10/1964 Heiner et a1.272-58 X n FOREIGN PATENTS 883,964 12/-1961 Great Britain.

L. W, TRAPP, Primary Examiner.

